Baltimore @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2015 ) Baltimore 4, Detroit 6

The Baltimore Orioles won the American League East in 2014 and swept the Detroit Tigers in three games in the division series before falling to the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS. When the Orioles open the second half of the 2015 season by visiting the Tigers on Friday, both teams are on the outside looking in at the AL playoff picture.

Detroit and Baltimore are meeting for the first time since that postseason series and enter the second half with twin 44-44 records. The Orioles were right in the mix for first place in the AL East at the end of June but dropped eight of 10 to close out the first half four games behind the first-place New York Yankees. The Tigers won the AL Central in each of the last four seasons but watched the pitching staff give up a total of 24 runs in dropping three straight before the break and now sit nine games behind first-place Kansas City. Detroit will try to get off to a fast start behind right-hander Anibal Sanchez while Baltimore hands the ball to Ubaldo Jimenez on Friday.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (7-4, 2.81 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (8-7, 4.63)

Jimenez needed 110 pitches to get through five innings at Minnesota on July 8 but did not allow a run and ended up with a no-decision. The Venezuelan allowed a total of one run and 17 hits over 20 frames in his last three turns. Jimenez did not get a chance to pitch against Detroit in the playoffs last season and is 5-9 with a 4.93 ERA in 17 starts against the Tigers in his career.

Sanchez issued five walks and gave up a home run in 6 1/3 innings at Seattle on July 8 but limited the damage to three earned runs and came out with the win to improve to 5-0 in his last six starts. The fellow Venezuelan is getting a lot of help from his offense in that span and surrendered at least three earned runs in each of the past four turns. Sanchez came out of the bullpen at Baltimore in the 2014 ALDS and worked two perfect innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Orioles designated LHP Wesley Wright for assignment on Wednesday after he was activated from the 60-day DL.

2. RF J.D. Martinez leads Detroit with 25 home runs and 59 RBIs but drove in only one run in the six games before the break.

3. Baltimore CF Adam Jones hit three solo home runs in the three games prior to the break.

PREDICTION: Tigers 8, Orioles 3